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Dear
Leader:
By now you may have questions about planning and
conducting your 4-H club meetings. This letter includes information about the
basic, everyday ingredients of a successful 4-H meeting.
Club Officers and
Committees
Club officers are an important part of the
leadership team in the 4-H club. Being an officer gives the member an
opportunity to develop and practice leadership skills and responsibility.
The following 4-H officers are usually elected in each club:
· President
· Vice-President
· Secretary
· Treasurer
· Reporter
· Recreation Leader
Some other officers the club may want to elect
include photographer, historian, and coordinators for the scrapbook,
clean-up and field trips.
There are special instruction sheets and
materials for each of the primary offices. These publications can be
ordered through your local University Outreach and Extension office.
Because one of the goals of 4-H is to develop
leadership skills, all members should have an opportunity to be an officer
or committee chair. Some large clubs have members fill an office or
committee chair for half the year. Others have junior and senior officers.
Both approaches give more members an opportunity for formal leadership.
Committees can be used to help the 4-H club
function smoothly as well as to provide opportunities for more people to be
involved. Committee membership need not be limited to club members. Club
leaders and parents are encouraged to become involved in assisting 4-H'ers
with planning and supervising various club activities, but members should
be involved in decisions and carry them out.
Teaching the 4-H Pledge
and Motto
It helps members and adults to understand 4-H
better if the leader presents the 4-H pledge and motto to the group early
in the club year. They should then be used regularly in meetings,
ceremonies, etc. The 4-H pledge along with the corresponding motions is
given below:
I pledge:
My Head to clearer thinking,
(with right hand, point to head)
My Heart to greater loyalty, (place right hand over heart)
My Hands to larger service, (arms bent, palms up)
My Health to better living, (arms at sides)
For my club,
My community,
My country,
And my World.
The 4-H motto, is "To make the best
better." The leader may find it helpful to make a poster or have the
4-H'ers make a poster of the 4-H pledge and motto to use at each meeting so
members can read and memorize them. After the first meeting, each member
can take a turn leading the Pledge of Allegiance and the 4-H pledge to open
the meetings. Many clubs close meetings with the 4-H motto recited in
unison. Flag sets and other club meeting aids are also available from the
National 4-H Supply Catalog. Your local University Outreach and Extension
office has copies of this catalog.
Setting Goals with Your
4-H Club
It's helpful for you and your 4-H members to set
a few basic goals for your club each year. These goals are statements of
what the members would like to accomplish as a club. The goals should help
the club meet the needs and interests of the individual members. Examples
of goals a club could set are:
· to provide a service to the community
· to introduce others to 4-H
· to learn more about nutrition (or some other subject)
· to involve family members in 4-H activities.
As a leader, you will want to set goals for
yourself and to encourage your 4-H members to set individual goals. These
can be goals to achieve in leadership roles, in their project or in their
personal development.
Planning a 4-H Club
Calendar and Program Plan
After the club's goals have been established,
use these goals to design a year-long program plan and club calendar. The
calendar will tell you what the club is doing when, and who is responsible
for it. A plan will help direct the club's activities towards its goals. Be
sure to involve your 4-H members and their parents in developing the club
calendar and program plan. Allow all members to contribute their ideas and
interests before choosing the activities for the year. When selecting an
activity, refer to your club's goals to see if the activity will help
attain those goals. The calendar and plan should include a variety of
activities to stimulate the club members' interest and enthusiasm. There
can be educational presentations, for which a speaker or program is brought
in to the meeting as well as presentations by members. Project meetings can
be scheduled to help members set goals for their projects, to provide
information and ideas, to work on projects, and to prepare for contests and
fairs. Your club can plan a club show to share what members have done
during the year with fellow members and others in the community. Social
activities can be planned throughout the year to which family, friends and
other 4-H clubs can be invited.
Youth staff are a good source of ideas for club
activities. You can contact your local 4-H staff to find out what the
county and state calendars include, especially the dates of events,
contests, fairs, etc. that are of interest to your members.
The 4-H Meeting
Club meetings should be planned to include three areas:
· Fun — Plan 15 to 20 minutes for recreation, refreshment and
fellowship
· Business — Allow 15 to 20 minutes for the business meeting, discussion
and planning
· Learning — Include 40 to 60 minutes for community service activities,
tours, guest speakers and presentations.
Possible Agenda Items
for a 4-H Club Meeting
A recommended business order follows:
1. Call to order
2. Pledge of Allegiance
3. 4-H Pledge
4. Roll call
5. Minutes of the last meeting
6. Approval of minutes
7. Treasurer's report
8. Officer and committee reports
9. Unfinished business
10. New business
11. Meeting adjourned
Usually, the program begins after the formal business
meeting is adjourned. Recreation and refreshments can also follow the
meeting. Some clubs use refreshments and recreation before the meeting as
welcome activities. There are endless agenda variations, and variety
certainly helps make the meeting more interesting and lively.
An approach some clubs prefer is to alternate
business meetings with project meetings, or to have short informal business
sessions at some point during project meetings. You might consider trying a
variety of methods to determine which works best with your members' age
groups, your club's size and your project areas.
Involving Parents with
Your Club
Successful 4-H membership usually requires a
great deal of parental support. There are a variety of methods for getting
parents involved. The classic reason for becoming a leader is to provide an
opportunity for a son or daughter to join 4-H. It is logical to encourage
parents to be leaders, assist committees or contribute to the club in other
ways. Don't hesitate to ask parents to help the club. Many clubs strongly
encourage parents to attend all meetings with their children. Parents may
be asked to chaperon a club activity, host a meeting, teach a special skill
or share a particular interest. If they are sharing information with the club,
it doesn't necessarily have to be related to a project. It could be
regarding citizenship, leadership, community service, careers or other
topics.
Tours, Activity Days, Field Trips, Etc.
Your club members will enjoy a variety of field
trips, tours and special activity days. Sometimes you teach them more in a
well-planned field trip than in a regular club meeting. These special
activities can involve a variety of experiences. They can be related to
specific projects that club members are involved in. They can involve
community service or be historical. Other 4-H leaders are an excellent
source of ideas for field trips for your club.
Your 4-H members will enjoy planning and
organizing these special events. They may even want to write to invite
another club join them for them for the trip.
If you have further questions or concerns,
contact your University Outreach and Extension staff or another volunteer
leader. Youth staff can provide leader training at club meetings if
requested. We want to help you succeed.
Have
a good meeting!
Character Counts
Missouri 4-H
recognizes the importance of good character in everything that is done. 4-H
staff and volunteers, as well as 4-H members and their families, know that
a person of character:
· is a good person, someone to look up to and admire
· knows the difference between right and wrong and always tries to do
what is right
· sets a good example
· makes the world a better place
· lives according to the Six Pillars of Character —
Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring and Citizenship.
Other Helpful Resources
So You Are 4-H Club Officer Series…
Volunteers: The Foundation of Youth Development
Presiding Officers Guide for Conducting a Regular 4-H
Club Business Meeting
Parliamentary Procedures
Adapted from Dodd, M.A., Hoglum, L., and
Robinson, M. (1998). Letters to New 4-H Leaders. Oregon
State University
Cooperative Extension Service, Corvallis,
Ore.
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